The Selfie Talk Janne Aerdts Et Al

"The Selfie Talk": An analysis that goes beyond image 1
"THE SELFIE TALK"

An analysis that goes beyond image
Janne Aerdts 2015178

Maryan Mohamed 2065285
Nathaly Yumi da Silva 2058610
RS: Using Digital Literacies 88026-M-3
Tilburg University
INTRODUCTION
An important socio-technological platform in our current digital society is Instagram.

Instagram was founded in 2010 and as of September 2021 has 1,3 billion active users. Where
the majority of the users of the big social media platform, owned by Facebook, are between
the age range of 18 and 34 years old (Iqbal, 2021).
In this research we focus on analysing online beauty campaigns, specifically the Dove
campaign that has been launched on Instagram. This campaign was called “The Selfie Talk:
Social media & self-esteem”. Originally known as just a brand for personal care products,
Dove has rebranded itself to something more through the use of social media. While many
brands continuously contribute to promoting certain standards of beauty, Dove has been
campaigning to end unrealistic beauty standards by launching the Dove Campaign for Real
Beauty, which has catapulted through the use of social media due to the ability to spread
awareness instantly. Much of the response that has been received by this campaign through
social media engagement has been extremely positive. The global Instagram channel of Dove
actively promotes their campaign by putting #NoDigitalDistortion in their heading. With over
672.000 followers on Instagram and over a thousand posts of females and males using the
hashtag, the brand used their Instagram account (https://www.instagram.com/dove/?hl=en) to
create a digital campaign where followers can interact with Dove.
We are specifically interested in the aspect of advertising through the Instagram page of
Dove and how they use different modes to convey meaning in order to promote their
campaign.
According to Ahadzadeh et al. (2017), the frequent use of socio-technological
platforms amongst young adults can lead to a negative body image. People are watching the
social activities of influencers, brands and other people in their social network. The users of
Instagram can give likes and comments and can share posts if they are interested to show
their engagement (Ahadzadeh, Sharif, & Ong, 2017; Iqbal, 2021). Instagram users can value
the likes and comments that others give to their posts, this can be a sign of approval and
belonging to the ‘in-group’ (Ellemers, Kortekaas, & Ouwerkerk, 1999). The ‘ingroup’ means
that people are part of the majority of a group in a specific culture, it creates a sense of
belonging and inclusivity in a certain group, in this case the likeable people of Instagram.
However, engagement can also mean that people are comparing themselves to others and feel
excluded, this can lead to insecurities that in time can create a negative body image. This
negative body image, can in time have a negative impact on the self-esteem of young adults
(Ahadzadeh et al., 2017).
Through the analysis of Dove’s “The Selfie Talk” campaign, the present work is an
attempt to answer the following question: given that socio-technological platforms such as
Instagram, are multimodal, how do the different modes, through the mobile phone’s screen
contribute to persuasive appeal of the meaning in a given message?
THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK
With the rise of socio-technological platforms, advertisement of products and

engagement with users has shifted from messaging towards interaction with followers (Di
Gangi & Wasko, 2016). By sharing content such as videos and photos on socio-technological
platforms such as Instagram, organizations, influencers and other people can make sure that
others engage with their content (Sang, Lee, Park, Fisher, & Fuller, 2020). Engaging with the
content of creators, can lead towards more content shown on your feed that is related to the
posts that you previously engaged with (Sang et al., 2020). With the use of hashtags,
searching for similar content has become easier over the years and it is shown that users often
use these hashtags as benchmarks and easy search engines (Saxton, Niyirora, Guo, & Waters,
2015). The use of hashtags can be effective in creating new social movements such as in this
case the Dove campaign with “The Selfie Talk” (Saxton et al., 2015). The use of the different
modes within online content has shown to be effective for user engagement (Di Gangi &
Wasko, 2016).
Social media enables users to compare themselves and others to posts that were posted
online by other users. Regularly comparing yourself with other Instagram users, can have an
impact on your self-esteem (Vogel, Rose, Roberts, & Eckles, 2014). Self-esteem can be
valued as something very fluid. Your self-esteem can change due to your feelings, appearance
and the people that surround you (Vogel et al., 2014). With the rise of socio-technological
platforms, self-esteem can thus also be influenced by the use of filters and apps such as
photoshop. The online interaction of content creators with their followers creates a base
whereby social action is enabled and these actions shape the identities and thus self-esteem of
individuals (Blommaert, Lu, & Li, 2019).
With the use of Instagram, Dove can create a stage for themselves where they not only
enable users to interact with their content but also use their campaigns to sell their own
product, there is a message behind every message, this is also called embodied interaction
(Blommaert et al., 2019). Saxton et al. (2015) point out that different modes and mediums,
for sharing messages regarding topics that are not only of social importance but also
commercial, can create a platform whereby the message might not be the goal of
organizations. According to Sang et al. (2020) it is important to mention that although
organizations can have an impact on the interactions and movements between different
individuals, we should also keep in mind that social media can shape visions of individuals in
a way that is not always intentional.
The different modes used in multimodality research can in turn give a mixed signal
whereby accents are created on specific sentences, words, pictures, videos and emojis that
can influence the feelings of users as if to say that something might be wrong with the world
as is (Vogel et al., 2014).
In the empirical research that we now will conduct we will focus on the impact of
pictures, videos, hashtags and emojis on users and their engagement with the specific content
of Dove.
EMPIRICAL RESEARCH
Social technological platforms can be considered contemporary sociolinguistic

environments and thus they are defined by the online-offline nexus (Blommaert, 2019;
Blommaert, 2020). For this study, Dove's campaign "The Selfie Talk" - specifically its
promotion on Instagram - was selected due to its relevance in underlining the idea that online
and offline lives are intertwined and can no longer be separated. The affordances of this
platform enables multi modes to convey meaning, the central interest in the present work.
In order to compose the analysis of this paper, the selection of campaign’s
promotional posts was based on a variety of different communication elements to be covered:
videos, static images compiled into videos, written texts, logo, emojis and hashtags.
Non-verbal communication creates context, which is needed in order to understand any form
of communication; and often, those non-verbal aspects are seen through the use of modes
(Hart & Cap, 2014).
The mode changes the way that we understand messages. This means that font, color,
size, centrality of certain elements instead of others, screen time and basically all elements
within a text, contributes to a persuasive appeal of the meaning of a given message. The way
that the meaning of a given message is interpreted can, in turn, give the audience the
possibility to form individual relations with it, reflecting on personal attitudes, thoughts,
emotions and responses.
Multimodality as an analytical tool enables us to recognize and to deal in alternative
ways with different kinds of signs, "describing and explaining communication in a super-
diverse global city and the social-semiotic world more generally" (Bezemer & Abdullahi,
2019, p. 135). Thus, the analysis of the selected posts will be based on multimodality,
revealing how the campaign's message communicates itself through different modes and
through mobile phone's screen as its medium, and how the affordances of Instagram helps
these to convey meanings.
FROM DOVE TO THE AUDIENCE
"Dove Self-Esteem Project" is the brand's proposal, since 2004, for parents, teachers,
mentors and young leaders to build confidence and self-esteem in themselves and in young
people in their lives, overcoming body image issues. "Reverse Selfie" is a film launched by
Dove in April 2021, as part of "The Selfie Talk" campaign and an extension of "Dove
Self-Esteem Project", showing the influence of photo editors and filters on young girls and
their self-esteem.
As a well-known brand, with 672k followers, Dove has an Instagram verified account
and chooses to promote "The Selfie Talk" campaign only by stories and publications of
videos. It also create a hashtag, #NoDigitalDistortion, to engage the audience.
The first selected post was published on April 21, 2021 (see Figure 1). It is a video
compilation of 4 images, without sound, with a duration of 6 seconds and a text description.
Figure 1. Dove. (April 21, 2021). "The Selfie Talk" Campaign [Image, screen capture]. Retrieved from:
https://www.instagram.com/p/CN66t60n08_/
At the beginning of the video (see Figure 2), the centered phrase "1 in 4 girls don't
think they look good without photo editing" has all words in the same font, size and color,
without adding emphasis on one word over another. On the other hand, the quantification "1
in 4" draws more attention once the use of numbers is easily visible and tangible within the
opening statement.
Even though the position of the project's logomark is not on the centre, the brand's
name has an unique bold font and, with its symbol - the golden dove -, can be recognized for
consumers due to its popularity. Moreover, the size of the logomark corresponds to the same
size of the sentence (divided in 3 parts), indicating the equal importance of these elements.
Considering the duration of the first image of just one second, it is challenging to read
all those multimodal components. So, it is possible to infer that, at first sight, the audience is
most likely to capture the numerical information and brand recognition.
In the second image of the video (see Figure 3), the picture portrays a girl with an
unblemished and poreless skin, full makeup on and a perfectly organized hair pattern. The
icons on the right side of the photo refer to the layout of a retouching app. The camera icon
inverts the lens direction, the sun icon changes the image contrast, the face with a plus icon
includes the filters, the drop icon controls the amount of blur, and the bar is the adjustment of
all these possibilities. The logomark is positioned in the upper left corner, completely in
white, acting almost like a watermark, without attracting as much attention as in the previous
image.
Due to its screen time, one second, what will remain here is the photo as a product of
an editing application.
The position of the logomark remains the same in the third image (see Figure 4). The
same girl is now portrayed closer to her real image, without any retouches. In this image, it is
possible to infer that the short screen time (and the consequently short transition time
between the previous image to this one) is justified by its function: to make a big impact with
the difference between the digital distorted and the real.
The fourth image (see Figure 5) has more screen time, a total of 3 seconds. After the
impact of the previous photos, as mentioned before, this image states the campaign's goals, in
the perfect position to do it. The centered phrase "Join our mission against digital distortion",
states in a powerful way a position of the brand. The word "against" plays an important role
to stand out Dove, since it is more common for brands to communicate their positions in
favor of something.
The last sentence "Let's Change Beauty" has an intertextual character. Using
intertextuality as an analytical tool to understand the "non-neutrality of words" (Blommaert,
2020), it is possible to say that: "Let's" creates a sense of togetherness and a proximity to the
audience, "Change" - highlighted in bold - is a word presented in all of the brand's campaign
since 2004, when Dove decided to focus on real imperfect woman, and "Beauty" is
emblematic because it is a beauty brand trying to change beauty standards with the
collaboration of its audience. It summarizes the Dove's identity.
Finally, the symbol of the golden dove is enough for consumers to recognize the
brand, affirming the strength and consolidation of Dove.
In addition to the images analysed, the meaning in the selected post (see Figure 1) is
conveyed by other elements as well. The text, emojis and hashtags that compose the caption
play important roles in the communication process.
As it is possible to see in Figure 6 the caption is separated in 4 parts, so will be our
analysis.
The first part is composed of a phrase and an emoji. The sentence "This is how far
retouching apps can distort beauty" is an attention-grabbing phrase. It is the first utterance
that can stimulate the audience to read the whole caption. It reinforces the idea of the video,
specially the girl's transformation on Figure 3 to Figure 4.
For image quality purposes, Figure 1 is a screen capture from the computer version of
Instagram, so the caption is next to the video, and it is possible to see all the written
information. However, based on the index pointing up emoji ( ☝️) after the word "This" (see
Figure 6), it is possible to say that the post was originally designed for users experiencing it
through the Instagram mobile app - through the mobile phone's screen - where the caption is
under the video hence, establishing a coherence between the word - emoji - video.
The second part is formed for three sentences that provide a deeper explanation of the
phrases stated on the video (see Figures 2 and 5). "Digital distortion, unrealistic beauty
standards and the pressure to post the 'perfect selfie'", are examples that explain why "1 in 4
girls don't think they look good without photo editing". The phrase "This needs to change" is
related to Dove's slogan "Let's Change Beauty". And "Join us to reverse the damage and
celebrate the real beauty", give us more insight about what is the brand's mission against
digital distortion.
The third part resembles a tutorial with the steps to be followed in order to change
beauty standards, as proposed by Dove. Regarding the usage of emojis, here there are two
different functions. The link emoji (🔗) substitutes the word "link", while the flexed biceps
(💪), the down arrow (⬇️), and the speaking head (🗣️) emojis are reinforcing the
information that precedes them. The latter function, following Marcel Danesi (2017), serves
"to reinforce some verbally indicated meaning" (p. 87). Thus, the "💪" reinforces the idea of
togetherness's strength expressed in "join our movement", "⬇️" reinforces the word
"download", and "🗣️" reinforces the action "to talk".
The last part of the caption is dedicated to the hashtags. Using the definition of
Alisson Shapp (2014), all of the hashtags used by Dove can be classified as "Tag Hashtags'',
in other words, tagging a topic(s) in order to group and to organize ideas under the same
matter. The tag hashtags are "often intentionally utilized for publicity" (Shapp, 2014, p. 4),
and in this case, it is possible to say that the majority of the hashtags incorporated in this post
are related with: the promotion of the brand (#Dove), what they preach about
(#LetsChangeBeauty, #RealBeauty, #BeautyIdeals, #SayYesToPositiveBeauty), single words
that encompass several themes (#Confidence, #SelfEsteem, #SocialMedia), and the names
linked with the campaign (#NoDigitalDistortion, #ReverseSelfie, #DoveSelfEsteemProject,
#TheSelfieTalk).
AUDIENCE RESPONSE
Figure 7 showcases a short video clip, in which the start of the clip starts with an
image of a woman with the use of heavy filters; and as the clip proceeds, it slowly removes
the filtering until a younger girl without any filtered enhancements or makeup is shown.
Finally, the clip ends with texts that read the message, “The pressure of social media is
harming our girls' self-esteem. The pandemic has made things even worse. Let’s reverse the
damage. Download our new Social Media Confidence kit” (Dove Global Instagram, 2021).
Alongside the video clip comes a lengthy caption with the use of emojis and hashtags.
The caption seen in figure 7 begins by stating alarming statistical findings that about
80% of girls have distorted images of themselves by age 13. Dove then introduces their main
message on the concept of this clip, which they have referred to as “Reverse Selfie.” The
term “Reverse Selfie” is very fitting for this video clip, as that is precisely what is going on as
the video plays. The reason this particular video clip has been chosen to be analyzed in the
audience response section is because this clip was one of the initial posts made for this
campaign; and because this post generated the most audience reactions with over one million
views, and almost 4 thousand comments. People tend to contextualize, or in other words,
“make sense” of certain information differently (Blommaert, 2005). In the clip shown in
figure 7, it provoked indexical reactions by the audience, because of the nonverbal meanings
they were able to take away, and as a result, their individual interpretations and meanings
produced many kinds of reactions.
Skimming through much of the nearly 4 thousand comments under this post, nearly
all of the comments are positive. Many of the comments were actually tags to other accounts,
which means that this particular post is being shared among many users, which is likely the
reason why this post is one of the most viewed clip and most social media engagement on
Dove’s Instagram account. Some people were able to personally identify with the message of
the post, while others were in full support as they have also been exposed to the self-esteem
issues related present as result of social media use.
Many users that have commented in support of the “Reverse Selfie” video clip created
by Dove were parents, particularly mothers, that related to the impact of unrealistic beauty
standards caused by social media has had on their child’s life. One particular user said
something along the lines of her 11 daughter suffering from the constant low self-esteem, and
feeling “ugly” because of all the standards and norms that have been created through many
social media applications. While more parents shared the negative impact of unrealistic
beauty standards having on their daughters, other parents were thankful for this campaign,
and hopeful that their child would not become victim to the negative effects social media has
on self-esteem and self-worth. The only major concern some users pointed out is that boys
also go through these same issues, but this campaign particularly only focuses on girls. The
great thing about Dove’s Instagram account is that they are very interactive with its users.
The issue raised on why boys were not included in this campaign actually received a response
by Dove’s social media correspondents, and they stated the reason for only focusing on girls
is because statistics that have been conducted on this issue show the disproportion present
between boys and girls in regards to issues of beauty standards.
https://www.instagram.com/p/CN4W0wEHgxT/
https://www.instagram.com/p/COST-XlHdzr/
Figure 8 utilizes different modes to generate meaning among the audience. This
particular post uses texts, numeric, and color to create meaning. Seen instantly in the image is
the emphasis that has been put on the “80%” part of the text due to the fact that it is the only
part of the text that is in bold. That would suggest that the amount of having used retouching
apps by age 13 is substantial. The image also uses a light blue color as its background in
order to create a more welcoming and inclusive atmosphere; as well as including the Dove
logo to make it known where the image has derived from.
Specific modes can also be found in the caption of figure 8. Most prominently is their
use of hashtags. Hashtags are a great tool available for use in social media. Hashtags give
platforms the ability to spread their information even further because anytime the term is
searched up, all the pages that have used the particular hashtag will also pop-up; giving users
who otherwise would not have seen the post, a chance to see it.
https://www.instagram.com/p/CN5R6HgnoX_/
Alongside the image itself, the interaction by the audience is also important to
analyze. Figure 7 generated 158 comments. Looking through much of what was commented,
it looks as though all of the audience responses were positive reactions. Many of the
commenters applauded Dove for standing up and making a stance in advocating for body
positivity, while other users responded by reflecting on themselves. One particular audience
response stated, “I’m 14 and started this when I was 13 so yeah it's true.” This comment
further proved their claim that “80% of girls are using retouching apps by age 13,” which is
indeed alarming starting at such a young age.
Different from the other posts, figure 9 also derived from Dove’s Instagram utilizes a
marketing technique, which is the use of a social media influencer. The image that has been
posted is that of a very well known, but fairly new rap/pop artist known as Lizzo. Lizzo is
known for her constant battle with media, and social media bullies about her weight; she is
also known for promoting body positivity. Lizzo’s beliefs are well aligned with Dove’s
campaign, so having her involved in the movement makes complete sense. Without context,
one would not understand why a naked, overweight woman is sharing an image like such, but
with context, the meanings intended come together perfectly. Of course, along with the
alignment of their movements, Lizzo is also helping the campaign by exposing her 11M+
Instagram followers to her involvement with this campaign.
Lizzo is an artist that is often dressed and presented glamorously, however, in this
image, she is in her most vulnerable state as she is completely naked, and barefaced, no
makeup on, and zero use of filters. The purpose of this concept is to show people that
unrealistic beauty standards are very much unrealistic, and this is what an average woman
may look like. The image promotes body positivity and fights against the use of digital
distortion. This post’s aim, as seen by the use of the hashtags, is to fight against digital
distortion, otherwise known as using certain applications to edit pictures of oneself in order to
improve or enhance looks. Similar to the other posts, this image also generated positive
response from the audience through supporting the campaign, and reflecting on their selves,
and how this image relates to the way in which they engage in photo editing for social media.
CONCLUSION
Research has shown that the use of socio-technological platforms such as Instagram
have an impact on self-esteem of users (Vogel et al., 2014). Within the case study of the
present paper, it can be concluded that Dove explores a huge range of elements to design the
visual and the textual part of its publications. Relating to video and images, the brand
highlights quantitative information (numbers, percentages, ages), contrast between images
(emphasizing on strategies like before and after), and its own popularity (the symbol - the
golden dove - and name are equally identifiable by consumers).
Analysing the textual elements, Dove utilizes the structure: attention-grabbing phrase +
informational paragraph that reinforces the video/image information + step-by-step, tutorial
information + hashtags, in order to keep the caption organized. The brand also uses emojis,
but just to reinforce the information already stated by the short and simple sentences, without
adding anything that could be misinterpreted. The capitalization of the hashtags facilitates the
understanding of them. The audience of Dove seems to have a positive attitude towards Dove
and their “The Selfie Talk” campaign. The use of celebrities creates a larger platform of
engagement of the audience and demonstrates how Dove tries to show the world that
everyone is beautiful.
Further research could dive into the topic of celebrities and influencers and what impact
they could have on the campaign of Dove. Furthermore, this research was not able to go into
more depth regarding the theoretical framework and see if there is more ground to cover that
is relevant for self-esteem and the use of socio-technological platforms. Next to this, it can
also be interesting to focus more on the responses of the audience and how they respond to
messages created by Dove and other creators. This research tried to portray the impact of the
different modes used by Dove in order to spread the message of their campaign. Hashtags,
emojis, pictures, videos, written texts, and logos do convey messages in a more meaningful
manner.
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"The Selfie Talk": An analysis that goes beyond image 1

"THE SELFIE TALK"

Janne Aerdts 2015178

An important socio-technological platform in our current digital society is Instagram.

With the rise of socio-technological platforms, advertisement of products and

Social technological platforms can be considered contemporary sociolinguistic

FROM DOVE TO THE AUDIENCE

Blommaert, J. (2005). Discourse: a critical introduction. New York: Cambridge University

Blommaert, J. (2020, June 16). Intertextuality [Video file]. Retrieved from

Danesi, M. (2017). The Semiotics of Emoji. Van Haren Publishing.

Ellemers, N., Kortekaas, P., & Ouwerkerk, J. W. (1999). Self‐categorisation, commitment to

Dove. (n.d.) Timeline [Instagram page]. Retrieved October 9, 2021, from

Shapp, A. (2014). Variation in the use of Twitter hashtags. Retrieved from

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